Digging into the details of the new report on Alberta’s healthcare procurement scandal
In this week’s episode of The Line: Alberta Podcast, Rob Breakenridge takes a closer look at the controversy surrounding procurement at Alberta Health Services and what we learned last week with the release of a major report into the matter.Retired Manitoba judge Raymond Wyant was brought in by the province to conduct a third-party investigation into the contract for the 2022 purchase of children’s pain medication, as well as contracts to conduct publicly-funded surgeries at private clinics.The report concludes that there were conflicts of interest and that policies were not followed, but it also found no evidence of wrongdoing by any elected officials or any political staffers. The premier's former chief of staff, Marshall Smith, has also denied any wrongdoing. The opposition, though, has pointed to limits in the scope of this investigation and say the report only strengthens the case for a public inquiry.In this episode, a conversation with Carrie Tait, reporter with the Calgary bureau of The Globe and Mail. She has done some important work on this story and helped bring many aspects of this controversy to light. We’ll get her insight on what this report uncovered, what questions remain unanswered, and where this whole scandal goes from here.
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Public dollars, private schools - does Alberta need to reconsider how it funds education?
In this week’s episode of The Line: Alberta Podcast, Rob Breakenridge takes a closer look at the debate around education funding in Alberta. The province-wide teachers’ strike has helped to illustrate some of the challenges and frustrations that have been building up in the public school system. Alberta’s population has risen rapidly in recent years, and it’s been a challenge for the system to keep up with sufficient space and teacher levels, leading to crowded classrooms and stressed out educators. Along the way, Alberta has seen its per-student education funding fall to the lowest of all the provinces.Alberta is also unique in the public dollars that support private education. That funding follows the student and represents 70 per of what the per-student public funding. The broader debate around education policy has drawn in this particular aspect of the Alberta system - should Alberta continue to spend public dollars on private education.In this episode, we’ll hear two different perspectives on that question. Alicia Taylor is a high school chemistry teacher in Calgary and is the organizer of a petition campaign that is hoping to use Alberta’s legislation to force a referendum on ending public funding of private schools. Meanwhile, Catharine Kavanagh is western stakeholder director at the think tank Cardus - they argue that Alberta’s emphasis on choice in education - and the diversity of options outside of the public system - delivers many benefits.
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Parsing the premier’s pipeline announcement and how this issue is shaping Alberta politics
In this week’s episode of The Line: Alberta Podcast, Rob Breakenridge takes a closer look at the big pipeline announcement last week from Alberta Premier Danielle Smith. Basically, the Alberta government intends on acting as the main proponent in a pipeline application in the hopes that Ottawa will pick up the ball and green light such a project through the Major Projects Office. But there are a lot of specific details lacking here and a lot of questions as to how this will all work. There is no doubt, though, that there is a tremendous amount of political symbolism surrounding a new major project, and this all comes as the Alberta Next process winds down and other more domestic issues threaten the premier’s attempts to keep the relationship with Ottawa at the forefront.In this episode, Rob chats with Max Fawcett, Calgary-based lead columnist for Canada’s National Observer. We’ll get his thoughts on the strategy behind the premier’s announcement and if her goal and preference is to get a deal with Ottawa or continue to clash with the feds. Plus, what next for Alberta Next as well as the possibility of a potential separation referendum?
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From highest to lowest in the country - What next for minimum wage policy in Alberta?
In this week’s episode of The Line: Alberta Podcast, Rob Breakenridge explores the politics and economics of the province’s minimum wage policy. Effective October 1st, Saskatchewan’s minimum wage rises to $15.35 per hour, leaving Alberta with the lowest minimum wage in the country. In fact, Alberta’s rate has been unchanged since 2018, when the Notley NDP completed their rapid push to $15 per hour. This roller coaster has seen Alberta quickly rise to having the highest minimum wage in the country, before sliding back down to now being the lowest.But what should that number be, and how and when should the minimum wage change? Ultimately, what is the goal of minimum wage policy?Our guest this week is Joseph Marchand, professor of economics at the University of Alberta and founding director of the Alberta Centre for Labour Market Research. In 2019, he was named chair of the province’s Expert Panel on Minimum Wage. We’ll get his insight on the impact of these big shifts in minimum wage policy and where we go from here.
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Edmonton Police oppose plea deal - a welcome intervention or attack on crown independence?
In this week’s episode of The Line: Alberta Podcast, Rob Breakenridge takes a closer look at a case in Edmonton that has made national headlines: the horrific murder of an eight-year-old girl and the very public - and controversial - opposition from Edmonton Police to a possible plea deal for the accused killer.To some, including Alberta’s premier, it’s a welcome jolt to the system and an expression of the frustration that many are feeling about perceived leniency for serious crimes. To others, though, it’s a breach of the important lines of independence that exist in our system between crown prosecutors and police and a potential slippery slope.In this episode, we’ll hear from Scott Newark, a former Alberta crown prosecutor and executive with the Canadian Police Association. We’ll also have some perspective from Deborah Hatch, an Edmonton criminal defence lawyer and Alberta director with the Canadian Council of Criminal Defence Lawyers
The Line: Alberta Podcast, hosted by veteran broadcaster and columnist Rob Breakenridge, is a weekly show that takes a closer look at stories that matter to Albertans and all Canadians. For more, go to Alberta.ReadTheLine.ca.
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